COMPUTER HARDWARE AND NETWORKING

Monday, September 30, 2013

Google Glass {“GLΛSS"} is a wearable computer with an optical head-mounted display (OHMD) that is being developed by Google. Google Glass is an attempt to free data from desktop computers and portable devices like phones and tablets, and place it right in front of your eyes. Google Glass displays information in a smartphone-like hands-free format that can communicate with the Internet via natural language voice commands.

Essentially, Google Glass is a camera, display, touchpad, battery and microphone built into spectacle frames so that you can perch a display in your field of vision, film, take pictures, search and translate on the go

While the frames do not currently have lenses fitted to them, Google is considering partnerships with sunglass retailers such as Ray-Ban or Warby Parker, and may also open retail stores to allow customers to try on the device. The Explorer Edition cannot be used by people who wear prescription glasses, but Google has confirmed that Glass will eventually work with frames and lenses that match the wearer's prescription; the glasses will be modular and therefore possibly attachable to normal prescription glasses.

Glass is being developed by Google X, which has worked on other futuristic technologies such as driverless cars. The project was announced on Google+ by Project Glass lead Babak Parviz, an electrical engineer who has also worked on putting displays into contact lenses; Steve Lee, a product manager and "geolocation specialist"; and Sebastian Thrun, who developed Udacity as well as worked on the autonomous car project. Google has patented the design of Project Glass. Thad Starner, an augmented reality expert, is a technical lead/manager on the project.

What can Google Glass do?

As well as Google's own list of features, the early apps for Google Glass provide a neat glimpse into the potential of the headset.

As well as photos and film - which require no explanation - you can use the Google hangout software to video conference with your friends and show them what you're looking at.

We'll be able to use Google Maps to get directions, although with GPS absent from the spec list, we'll need to tether Glass to your phone. Google offers the MyGlass app. This pairs your headset with an Android phone. As well as sharing GPS data, this means messages can be received, viewed on the display, and answered using the microphone and Google's voice-to-text functionality.

Google has given its Glass project a big boost by snapping up voice specialists DNNresearch.

That functionality will also bring the ability to translate the words being spoken to you into your own language on the display. Obviously you'll need a WiFi connection or a hefty data plan if you're in another country, but it's certainly a neat trick if it works.

Third parties are also already developing some rather cool/scary apps for Google Glass - including one that allows you to identify your friends in a crowd, and another that allows you to dictate an email.

Vignettes

Share what you can do with Glass. Vignettes superimpose a screenshot of your Glass display over your picture, so people can see what you see on Glass and in the world. Take a picture using Glass' camera button and tap to make vignette. Whatever is on the display when you take the picture will appear in the vignette

Play videos through search

Use Google Search to find and play videos.

Sound Search

Long press the touchpad for a Google search and swipe forward to start a sound search. Glass will listen for a moment and identify the name and artist. Alternatively, you can start a sound search by voice command. Say "ok glass, google what song is this?" from the Home menu.

Transit cards

Ditch the car and spare your feet. Now you can get your nearby mass transit directions directly on Glass.

Reminder cards

Set a reminder through Google search on your mobile phone or tablet and get reminded on your Glass timeline.

Nearby attractions

Glass will notify you of nearby attractions, say the Golden Gate Bridge or the Statue of Liberty, if you happen to stumble into their neighborhood.

Nearby photo spots

Glass will update your timeline if you're you're away from home and near a scenic vista or other notable photo spot.

News results in search

Get the latest news through a Glass search. Do a Google search from Glass on a newsworthy topic, and you'll see a dedicated news card on the subject.

Set up a Google Apps account

Those with Google Apps can now turn on the Glass service through their Admin console and set up their Glass on their Google Apps account. Most Google Apps are supported and we'll continue testing and adding services as we go. To test with us, switch your account by factory resetting your Glass through the Device info card in Settings, then set up Glass through the MyGlass website or Android app while signed in to your Google apps account.

Glass searches in search history

Searches performed on Glass are now updated in your Google search history. If you'd rather keep a search anonymous, deleting it from the timeline will also delete it from your search history. Alternatively, you can turn it off entirely from the search history website.

Remote control

If you have the MyGlass app on Android, you may have noticed you can screencast your Glass display to your phone from the MyGlass menu. Now, while you screencast, you can control Glass through your phone. Try it out by swiping your phone screen to browse your timeline.

Google Glass Technical specifications

Fit

Adjustable nosepads and durable frame fits any face. Extra nosepads in two sizes.

Camera

Google Glass has the ability to take photos and record 720p HD video. While video is recording, the screen stays on.

Audio

Storage

Touchpad

A touchpad is located on the side of Google Glass, allowing users to control the device by swiping through a timeline-like interface displayed on the screen.

Battery

One full day of typical use. Some features, like video calls and video recording, are more battery intensive.

Charger

Included Micro USB cable and charger.

FAQ

1. Is Google Glass is indestructible?

No.

Glass is robust, stable and built to ﬁt into your life. But you might break it if you don’t handle it with care. Protect your Glass by using the pouch or another carrying case that you trust to keep Glass safe, dry, and awesome.

2. Is Glass useful everywhere?

Like everything, there is a time and a place.

It might be harder to hear Glass or use voice input commands in noisy areas, and it might be harder to see the Glass screen in bright sunlight. Also, you may be in certain places like a doctor’s oﬃce where those around you don’t feel comfortable being photographed or captured on video. Always consider your surroundings - just like you would with a cell phone. Above all, be considerate.

3. Can I use Glass while driving or bicycling?

It depends on where you are and how you use it.

As you probably know, most states have passed laws limiting the use of mobile devices while driving any motor vehicle, and most states post those rules on their department of motor vehicles websites. Read up and follow the law! Above all, even when you’re following the law, don’t hurt yourself or others by failing to pay attention to the road. The same goes for bicycling: whether or not any laws limit your use of Glass, always be careful.

Friday, September 13, 2013

When power is turned on, POST (Power-On Self-Test) is the diagnostic testing sequence that a computer's basic input/output system (or "starting program") runs to determine if the computer keyboard,
random access memory, disk drives, and other hardware are working correctly.
If the necessary hardware is detected and found to be operating properly, the computer begins to boot. If the hardware is not detected or is found not to be operating properly, the BIOS issues an error message which may be text on the display screen and/or a series of coded beeps, depending on the nature of the problem.The pattern of beeps may be a variable numbers of short beeps or a mixture of long and short beeps, depending on what type of BIOS is installed.
The patterns of beeps contain messages about the nature of the problem detected. For example, if the keyboard is not detected, a particular pattern of beeps will inform you of that fact. An error found in the POST is usually fatal (that is, it causes current program to stop running) and will halt the boot process, since the hardware checked is absolutely essential for the computer's functions.

General internal workings

verify the integrity of the BIOS code itself

determine the reason POST is being executed

find, size, and verify system main memory

discover, initialize, and catalog all system buses and devices

pass control to other specialized BIOS-es (if and when required)

provide a user interface for systems configuration

identify, organize, and select which devices are available for booting

construct whatever system environment that is required by the target OS

Fundamental structure/Error reporting/Original IBM POST error codes

1 short beep - Normal POST - system is OK

2 short beeps - POST error - error code shown on screen

No beep - Power supply or system board problem

Continuous beep - Power supply, system board, or keyboard problem

Repeating short beeps - Power supply or system board problem or keyboard

1 long, 1 short beep - System board problem

1 long, 2 short beeps - Display adapter problem (MDA, CGA)

1 long, 3 short beeps - Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA)

3 long beeps - 3270 keyboard card

POST AMI BIOS beep codes

1 - Memory refresh timer error

2 - Parity error in base memory (first 64 KB block)

3 - Base memory read/write test error

4 - Mother board timer not operational

5 - Processor error

6 - 8042 Gate A20 test error (cannot switch to protected mode)

7 - General exception error (processor exception interrupt error)

8 - Display memory error (system video adapter)

9 - AMI BIOS ROM checksum error

10 - CMOS shutdown register read/write error

11 - Cache memory test failed

POST beep codes on CompTIA A+ Hardware Core exam Beeps Meaning

Steady,short beeps Power supply may be bad

Long continuous beep tone Power supply bad or not plugged into correctly

Steady, long beeps Power supply bad

No beep Power supply bad, system not plugged in, or power not turned on

On power up, the main duties of POST are handled by the BIOS, which may hand some of these duties to other programs designed to initialize very specific peripheral devices, notably for video and SCSI initialization. These other duty-specific programs are generally known collectively as option ROMs or individually as the video BIOS, SCSI BIOS, etc.

The principal duties of the main BIOS during POST are as follows:

The BIOS will begin its POST duties when the CPU is reset. The first memory location the CPU tries to execute is known as the reset vector. In the case of a hard reboot, the north-bridge will direct this code fetch (request) to the BIOS located on the system flash memory. For a warm boot, the BIOS will be located in the proper place in RAM and the north-bridge will direct the reset vector call to the RAM.
During the POST flow of a contemporary BIOS, one of the first things a BIOS should do is determine the reason it is executing. For a cold boot, for example, it may need to execute all of its functionality. If, however, the system supports power savings or quick boot methods, the BIOS may be able to circumvent the standard POST device discovery, and simply program the devices from a reloaded system device table.
The POST flow for the PC has developed from a very simple, straightforward process to one that is complex and convoluted. During POST, the BIOS must integrate a plethora of competing, evolving, and even mutually exclusive standards and initiatives for the matrix of hardware and OSes the PC is expected to support. However, the average user still knows the POST and BIOS only through its simple visible memory tests and setup screen.
In the case of the IBM PC compatible machines, the main BIOS is divided into two basic sections. The POST section, or POST code, is responsible for the tasks mentioned above, and the environment POST constructs for the OS is known as the run-time code, the run-time BIOS, or the run-time footprint. Primarily these two divisions can be distinguished in that POST code should be flushed from memory before control is passed to the target OS while the run-time code remains resident in memory. This division may be a misleading oversimplification, however, as many Run-time functions are executed while the system is Posting.
The original IBM BIOS reported errors detected during POST by outputting a number to a fixed I/O port address, 80. Using a logic analyzer or a dedicated POST card, an interface card that shows port 80 output on a small display, a technician could determine the origin of the problem. (Note that once an operating system is running on the computer, the code displayed by such a board is often meaningless, since some OSes, e.g. Linux, use port 80 for I/O timing operations.) In later years, BIOS vendors used a sequence of beeps from the motherboard-attached loudspeaker to signal error codes.
These POST beep codes are covered specifically on the CompTIA A+ Core Hardware Exam:

Apple's Macintosh computers also perform a POST after a cold boot. In the event of a fatal error, the Mac will not make its start-up chime.
Old World Macs (until 1998)
Macs made prior to 1998, upon failing the POST, will immediately halt with a "death chime," which is a sound that varies by model; it can be a beep, a car crash sound, the sound of shattering glass, a short musical tone, or more. On the screen will be the Sad Mac icon, along with two hexadecimal strings, which can be used to identify the problem.
New World Macs (1998-1999)
When Apple introduced the iMac in 1998, it was a radical departure from other Macs of the time. The iMac began the production of New World Macs, as they are called; New World Macs, such as the iMac, Power Macintosh G3 (Blue & White), Power Mac G4 (PCI Graphics), PowerBook G3 (bronze keyboard), and PowerBook G3 (FireWire), load the Mac OS ROM from the hard drive. In the event of a fatal error, they give these beeps:
New World Macs (1999 onward) and Intel-based Macs
The beep codes were revised in October 1999, and have been the same since. In addition, on some models, the power LED would flash in cadence.

Connectify Hotspot is an easy-to-use software access point ( Soft AP ) or vritual router, for laptops and smartphones. With Connectify Hotspot you can share expensive airport Wi-Fi with co-workers, create a wireless hotspot in your ethernet-only hotel or dorm room, and even extend the range of your home router. Other Wi-Fi-enabled devices can see and join your Connectify hotspot just like any other Wi-Fi access point, and are kept safe and secure by password-protected WPA2 Encryption.

Step by Step Procedure:-

Connectify presents you with a very easy-to-use wizard. Click “Next”, and select the Wi-Fi device you want
to use to share your Internet connection. If you only have one adapter, this screen doesn’t show up, so jump to step three!

Note: Some adapters might not allow both connecting to a Wi-Fi network (at home, work, or in public) and sharing the Internet connection at the same time. If that’s the case, you need a secondary Wi-Fi USB adapter.

3.Hit “Next”, and enter the name of the Wi-Fi hotspot that you want to create. Below is an example.

4. Then, select the “Hotspot Mode”. If your Wi-Fi connection is capable of sharing the same Wi-Fi for both the Internet connection and the Connectify hotspot feature, make sure that “Access Point, WPA2-PSK” is selected. If you want to set another security level (for compatibility reasons), then the Internet connection needs to come in from another source like a 3G card, a cable modem or a direct LAN connection.

5. Enter a password to protect your personal Wi-Fi hotspot, and hit “Next” again. The following step of the wizard is crucial; Connectify will now ask you which Internet connection you want to share. For example, let’s use the same Wi-Fi adapter.

6. That’s it! Click “Finish”, and in a few short moments, you will be able to connect all of your Wi-Fi-enabled devices to your laptop’s own hotspot.

First things first, set up the computer that’s connected to the modem to be the HOST. All this means is that this is the computer that will be used to share the internet, not the computer that doesn’t have internet currently. To do this, go:

WINDOWS XP

1. Start > Control Panel > Network Connections.

This should show all the connections you are or have been connected to.

DO THE STEP BY STEP PROCEDURE

Step 1: Right-Click the connection you are currently using to access the internet. Click Properties. Go to the Advanced tab and check “Allow other network users to connect through this computer’s Internet connection”.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

To create a bootable DVD or USB flash drive, download the ISO file and then run the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool. Once this is done, you can install Windows 7 directly from the USB flash drive or DVD.

The ISO file contains all the Windows 7 installation files combined into a single uncompressed file. When you download the ISO file, you need to copy it to some medium in order to install Windows 7. This tool allows you to create a copy of the ISO file to a USB flash drive or a DVD. To install Windows 7 from your USB flash drive or DVD, all you need to do is insert the USB flash drive into your USB port or insert your DVD into your DVD drive and run Setup.exe from the root folder on the drive.

The following applications must be installed prior to installing the tool:

Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 must be installed.

Microsoft Image Mastering API v2 must be installed.

Using the Windows 7 USB/DVD download tool

Before you run the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool, make sure you have already purchased the Windows 7 ISO download from Microsoft Store and have downloaded the Windows 7 ISO file to your hard drive. If you have purchased Windows 7 but have not yet downloaded the ISO file, you can download the file from your Microsoft Store Account.

To make a copy of your Windows 7 ISO file:

Click the Windows START button, and click WINDOWS 7 USB/DVD DOWNLOAD TOOL in the ALL PROGRAMS list to open the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool.

In the SOURCE FILE box, type the name and path of your Windows 7 ISO file, or click BROWSE and select the file from the OPEN dialog box. Click NEXT.

Select USB DEVICE to create a copy on a USB flash drive or select DVD disk to create a copy on a DVD disk.

If you are copying the file to a USB flash drive, select your USB device in the drop-down list and click BEGIN COPYING. If you are copying the file up to a DVD, click BEGIN BURNING.

The following tips might help if you run into a problem using this tool.

The tool is requested that I install the .NET framework and Image Mastering API before I install the tool

For users running Windows XP, you must install the .NET Framework 2.0 and the Image Mastering API 2.0 before installing the tool. You can download .NET framework here and you can download the Image Mastering API here.

Please note that a restart may be required after installing the .NET framework and the Image Mastering API.

When creating a bootable USB device, I am getting an error about bootsect

To make the USB device bootable, you need to run a tool named bootsect.exe. In some cases, this tool needs to be downloaded from your Microsoft Store account. This may happen if you're trying to create a 64-bit bootable USB device from a 32-bit version of Windows. To download bootsect:

Login to your Microsoft Store account to view your purchase history

Look for your Windows 7 purchase.

Next to Windows 7, there is an "Additional download options" drop-down menu.

In the drop-down menu, select "32-bit ISO."

Right-click the link, and then save the bootsect.exe file to the location where you installed the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool (e.g. C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Apps\Windows 7 USB DVD Download Tool).

Once the file has been saved, go back to the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download tool to create your bootable USB device.

My USB device is not in the list of available devices

If you don't see your USB flash drive in the list of available devices, please make sure the drive is inserted in the USB port, and then click the Refresh button beside the list of available drives.

I inserted a blank DVD in my DVD-ROM drive, but the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool doesn't recognize it

If there are multiple drives on the system, the tool will select the first one that is capable of burning DVDs. If you have multiple DVD-R drives, try inserting the blank DVD into another DVD-R drive. If that doesn't help, please make sure that your disc isn't damaged and that your DVD-R drive is operational. Contact Product Support if issues continue to arise.

Inserted a blank DVD in my DVD-ROM drive, but the tool won't let me burn it

Make sure the disc isn't a dual-layer DVD disc. Currently, dual-layer discs are not supported within the tool.